Silly Post: The Unexpected Visitor

Cloth diapering provides additional hilarity to an already amusing time in our lives as parents, when funny and silly stories are aplenty! However, what about the silly things we do?

The other day I was feeling really crummy. I was tired, I had a headache and my tummy wasn’t feeling so great – the whole nine yards. As we sat down for dinner I was not even in the mood to eat so my oldest daughter, Aaliyah, asked “Mama, why aren’t you eating?”

“I don’t feel good sweetie. I have cramps.”

Well, we all know how well children actually hear sometimes – so she asked with the funniest confused expression, “You have CRAYONS?”

LOL! Ok, so I could see if she had mistaken crabs for cramps, but crayons?

“No, sweetie… mama has pains in her belly.”

“Ohhhh… you have paints and crayons in your belly.”

Honestly, it hurt to laugh but I just couldn’t help myself! I suppose that would make all the sense in the world for a 4 year old… after all, can anyone imagine feeling well if they had paints and crayons inside their belly?

My husband, seizing the opportunity to tease me, told my daughter, “You’re just going to have to get used to your mommy. She never feels good.”

Naturally I tried to defend despite knowing my husband was teasing… so went on to say I wasn’t sure what in the world was causing the pain. I knew I wasn’t pregnant (I had taken at least 5 pregnancy tests in the last few months just to be sure since I’m a Fertile Myrtle) – and my cycle hadn’t retuned since the baby was born nearly 6 months ago…

Well, lo and behold – a few hours later I discovered the problem. It turned out my cycle finally decided to return. Unfortunately, I was fully unprepared. Ok, so I had a panty liner… ummm, yeah that wasn’t going to work for the ensuing tidal wave. I was also in absolutely no mood to go to the store so I asked dear hubby, despite knowing his answer before even asking, if he would go to the store and buy me something.

He looked at me, laughed and pointed in the direction of the changing table and said, “You’ve got all these diapers over there. Why not use those?” Men are soooo amusing, eh?!?

“I’m NOT wearing a diaper!”

“Well, you said you like to use natural stuff. How do you think the women did it back in the day? They used cloth.”

“Yeah, well… I’m not using my son’s diapers.”

Unfortunately, however, I needed something in a hurry! So with virtually no other options available I grabbed a flat diaper and folded it several times to the size of a maxi-pad and placed a homemade fleece liner on top. It felt very awkward wearing a monstrous sized makeshift cloth pad – but you know what? It worked!

Serves me right for not ordering some Mama Pads ahead of time from Kelly’s Closet knowing full well I would need them eventually… always better to be prepared ahead of time! However, I’m definitely looking forward to the Diva Cup which will be available at Kelly’s Closet, hopefully this week (this is a great alternative to pads – although I’d still like some for backup)!

30 comments:

Oh wow!!! I have been telling my husband I want to try mama pads when my cycle returns (which at 7 months post pregnancy I am pretending will never happen by not being prepared for it either) but that I would still use tampons during the day. When I finally decide to recognize that my cycle will return I am definitely going to buy these too. So cool!!!

I want to get the Diva Cup so badly. My cycle returned at 8 months post partum and even though it’s been a little wonky, I guess it’s back for good until I get pregnant again (which is hopefully soon!). I have a supply of tampons in the cupboard, but when that runs out- onto the Diva! I feel like when I started cloth diapers and had to get through my stash of disposables to appease DH first

How funny. A similar thing happened to me while on vacation over Thanksgiving. It was Thanksgiving morning and we were staying in a mountain cabin high above Galtinburg TN and I got my monthly visitor unexpectedly. (My cycle was still a bit messed up due to post pregnancy and the fact that I am still nursing.) I couldn’t find anything, so I ended up using a seventh generation disposable diaper that I had taken along with me. It worked great – even at night. It was a few weeks later that I got my mama cloth and I’ve never looked back since.

I am completely unprepared to. I have know decided because of your story I need to wake up and realize what is lurking around the corner. With both my boys my cycle returned at 8 months, Kylie is 8months on the 3rd.

I’m working up the nerve to try the Diva Cup. I have always hated tampons, so I’m a pad user. I guess I should at least switch to cloth pads if I’m going to keep going that route. Somehow that seems like so much more effort than cloth diapering. (Which makes no sense!)

Also, I can’t believe your husband wouldn’t run out to get supplies for you! Mine has done that for me before, as well as various other embarrassing pregnancy-related purchases. I guess I’m just really lucky!

Love your daughter’s interpretation of what she thought you said! The other day my hubby returned from a jog and very short of breath said, “I’m pooped!” My 4 year old son turned and looked at him funny and said, “Did you go potty?” Gotta love kids!

I’ve used a folded prefold in a pinch. It was HUGE, but it did work! Now that I”m pregnant again, I won’t need pads for a while, but I plan to stock up on some Mama pads before this baby comes, just to be prepared!

UGH you girls are sooooo lucky I EBF all my boys & my cycle returns what 8 weeks after giving birth! Mamapads are so nice & easy to just throw in with your diaps! (although rinse them first! I heard blood leaves like greasy stuff on your diaps if you dont.) I have the IUD so only have light periods not (def not enough for the divacup) the cloth pads are so nice even for the light days

That’s awesome! I keep telling myself to use mommy pads since I’m CD’ing my baby, but the idea of washing cloth pads from my periods grosses me out way more than baby poo or pee! I am also squeamish about anything “up there”. For that reason I abhor the thought of using tampons/diva cup/nuvaring, etc.

I came across the Diva Cup on Kelly’s site and it definitely peak my interest. I am glad to hear that she is getting close to stocking them even though I most likely won’t need one for 8-9 mo sicne I am due last May.

Funny story on what your kids hear. It truely is amazing what they hear and what you don’t want them to hear sometimes too.

I’m so dreading that day when mine comes back. But even though I like cloth diapering, I’m having a hard time with the Mother pad thing. The thought kinda grosses me out although I don’t know why. I might try a Diva Cup though.LOL about the husbands comment to use a cloth diaper. I just pictured putting a pocket diaper in my panties and trying to fasten the velcro around my hips!

SARAH: I haven’t actually used the Diva Cup (still waiting for it to be stocked at Kelly’s before ordering one – I always make sure I try something before actually recommending it, so you know I’m giving you honest feedback).

I don’t know if it hurts or not, but I do know from my research (and as another mama mentioned) it does take a little getting used to. However, once you master the thing it works wonderfully! To my understanding it should NOT hurt… if it does hurt then it’s not inserted right.

LIZ: We definitely plan to cover mama care products in the very near future! I just need a little hands-on experience before I can personally write about them!

JESS: My period returned 6 weeks postpartum with my first daughter. I was soooo shocked. Everyone kept saying that when you EBF that it is rare for your menses to return – usually not for the first year or two. Even my doctor told me only 10% of women who EBF will have their cycle return… LOL, guess I was one of the few.

I also ended up getting pregnant when my oldest was only 5 1/2 months old!!! LOL So it was great to go a little longer after having my second and third before my menses came back!!!

My cycle has not come back, but I am not looking forward to pads or tampons! So uncomfortable… considering mama cloth, but thought it might be smelly… Any suggestions? Diva cup intrigues me as well. Oh well, I am open to anything..

Too funny about your daughter’s “crayons and paints” comments. Out of the mouths of babes….

I’ve always been one who favored tampons – but I do like to utilize pads as backup (especially for my first day as that’s always the worse in terms of flow).

I’ve yet to be able to use the Diva Cup just yet – still waiting for my next visit to get started… but I think this is an awesome alternative to pads and tampons while still being cost effective and minimal care/maintenance.

Just this weekend I tried to make my first homemade mama pantyliners (thought it would be an interesting sewing project for my girls to help with)…

I can say that I did soak the prefold diaper I used as my pad in cold water until I was able to wash it – and there was no stink issues with that and quite surprisingly there were no stains either! I simply washed it with a load of whites and all was just fine.

There are options for soaking the pads – even adding a little peroxide for disinfecting them and preventing staining – but I don’t know how necessary that would be, especially since I’m relatively new to these mama options.